'Silaturahmi Tunnel' to Connect Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral
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2 June 2021 19:38 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta to soon have a construction that will symbolize tolerance and harmony of religious communities in Indonesia. A pedestrian tunnel, dubbed as 'Terowongan Silaturahmi' or the 'Brotherhood Tunnel' that is currently being constructed, will connect two of Jakarta’s religious symbols, Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral.
The construction is hoped to symbolize tolerance and religious harmony between Islam and Christian communities that live hand-in-hand in Indonesia. The term silaturahmi was chosen as it hones a religious weight to it and unifies a certain collective understanding that is easy to understand by both sides. It also represents friendship and brotherhood.
Vice President Ma’ruf Amin once championed the construction of the tunnel in a meeting earlier in the year. “The silaturahmi tunnel will represent tolerance and the sense of unity among Indonesians, which will be a great example for mosques in other cities, regionally or globally,” he said in the commemoration of Istiqlal’s 43d anniversary that was held virtually.
The pedestrian tunnel will connect Jakarta Cathedral, which adopted a neo-gothic European-style design, and Southeast Asia’s largest mosque, Istiqlal, with a modern-esque design.
TEGUH ARIF ROMADHON
